VINCENNES — Friday night was my first look at 2011 Indiana target Walter Pitchford and his (East Lansing, MI) Summit Christian team. Summit Christian took on Iowa Western Community College in a game played at Vincennes University.

The 6-9 forward scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in front of IU assistant coach Steve McClain. Pitchford shot 5-of-14 from the field and knocked down one his three 3-point attempts.

I’ll be back in attendance again tomorrow to watch Pitchford as his Summit Christian team takes on New Creations. Here’s a video of Pitchford speaking to the media following his game earlier tonight:

Seems like a very good kid, seems to have a clear understand of what he is looking for in a college. The challenge here with IU is …need vs talent. Do you grab a high level talent like Walter, who is a big, not a BIG big, but very skilled……..not necessarily the banger rebounder type? My first thoughts are IU needs another BIG guy down low…however….what are your options at this point? If there are no JUCO’s out there what do you do?

A little uncertain but would not be upset if Walter chose IU……ofcourse he can add weight, but another athletic player to go along with Will and Victor would help. I know there are the Watford comparisons, which isn’t horrible however…no one accused Christian of rebounding at the top of the square nor asking him to get into the lane and dunk on people.

Casey B.

First impressions, I don’t think I’d mind signing him either. What worries me most is that he cites “how the team is doing THIS SEASON” as one of the things that matters a lot to him…

Marsh21

Well if he’s making a decision based upon how the team is doing this year as he stated I don’t think we have anything to worry about.

I will be surprised if he ends up a Hoosier.

jgongora86

I like this kid, but we do have options. Every year some kid drops his commitment or requests to go to another school ( when a coach leaves or gets fired). We need to be patient. Also if we get Gary Harris, we should really try to push harder for Kaleb Tarczewski. I know he is a Kansas lean right now, but if we can really show big guys such a deep recruiting class at different positions, how could we not snare someone up?

Kelin Blab

the This season comment stands out Casey, alot depends on how much will he weigh that issue. Secondly, what I have consistently read IU is recruiting him the most and we all know ‘Crean’ here lately usually gets his man. Seems he has a nice list of schools so it would be great to beat out a bunch of those guys.

Casey B.

Definitely would. What else do we know about this guy? Was he a heralded recruit before he reclassified — one who’s simply slipped through the cracks this time around because people forgot about him? I like him, but part of me wonders if he really fills a need. My belief is that we should really only be burning the scholarship on someone who plugs a hole in our lineup.

GFDave

There is no doubt in my mind that size is our number 1 problem area and so I like it that we’re looking at this kid. I don’t know if he is an answer to our needs, but I’m looking forward to more reports and assessments about his game.

6’9 and athletic……….. not only do we lack size but athlatecism. When Mbakwe can dominate like he did mainly because his athletecism tat is a big problem. Dunk 10 on this video is Pitchford, i like his level of athletecism for sure.

Anonymous

I didn’t listen to his audio yet, but if that were too much of an important criteria would have EVER signed with DePaul?

Anonymous

Sounds like a good kid. Also sounds like a tough interview – lots of noises and distractions. I felt bad for him trying to answer questions with what seemed like a lot going on around him.

As for the “this season” quote, that doesn’t worry me too much. The other things he mentioned: coach, academics, playing time. These are all big pluses at IU.

I agree that I’d rather get a true 5 if we’re picking up another recruit and that patience might get us there with guys decommitting. It’d be nice to have a guy who’s 7 feet tall (or at least 250 if he’s 6’9). If we signed him, we’d have what, 4 guys at that height next year? Amusing if nothing else. But still, we can use the size and he could play an important role. Maybe we wouldn’t have a true 5 to protect Cody, but having a number of 6’9 guys who are willing to put in work and bang a little, I think we’d be alright.

MillaRed

Decommitting? I think that word is banned for the next 4 years.

Anonymous

The phrase that made me go hmmm in this interview was when he said the top 2 of the things he is working on the hardest was his outside shot and getting better at putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket. Shades of the Mitch M. interview ? Doesn’t really sound like his first priority would be to come in and bang at the 5 and that is what we seem to need the most. But like we have been saying if you go after someone to get low and bang at the 5 who is out there that justifies burning a scholly on for next year and if there isn’t anyone then do we go ahead with this guy ? CZ really needs to be able to play the 4 for us next year in the worst way.

We should not sign him unless he fully understands that he will be expected to play the 5 and that, banging, rebounding and clogging up the lane will be his top 3 priorities and if he understands this and Crean feels like he can and will do that and they sign him then I guess I will trust that decision and be on board with it.

JerryCT

So at what level does he play defense ? This is the biggest change from HS to college and our greatest need.

Kaleb would fit the hole in the middle we need – 7 footer and although not a finished product is no project – and seems to be ranked at/near Perea but more polished without the athleticism of HP. Would fit well with Zeller.

Pitch would also be a big help. He is in his 5th yr and rounding out his game. Guy like this is what CTCs system thrives on. Not the same impact immediately but would get solid minutes – a taller version of Will perhaps.

Marsh21

This should be a pass gents. We need a true 4/5 that rebounds and plays defense not shoots the three. Crean loves these guys but we are getting killed on the blocks!

Hoosier Clarion

GFDave,

I like you think our problem is size. Problem 1a is athleticism. This kid gives us some of each. He would not hurt us.

Bracy2

Hope the young man didn’t see poor Indiana State team beat the crap out of a Northern Iowa team that beat us, If he did we have no chance. This IU team does not have the talent to compete for a Big Ten Title ,but should smoke most mid majors and they do not. Can’t help but wonder why Watford is always parked out at the 3 point line setting screens for dribblers who dribble to much.

Anonymous

haha, I know I know. I should have been clear – I meant non-IU guys decommitting like DSR and Chandler. It’s okay to use the word in reference to guys like that, right?

Anonymous

yeah that was my bigger concern as well. I want Antonio and Dale Davis playing for us down low. Or something along those lines

hoosierindaVille

Im scared that this years team will start to scare away recruits or change the minds of the ones coming in . this years team has to get better , QUICK

Do we have MYTHS going on ? Aren’t we a dribble drive team ? I ask the following:

Myth 1: We need a 5 .
+ Thought we were running dribble drive where the 5 is mostly a garbage clean up guy always playing away from the ball and out of the lane

+ In this case this kid could play the 5 if he is as tenacious as Mbakwe

+ What good 5 wants to play this offense anyway ? Better off at KU or wherever they run offense for the 5

Myth 2: We are getting killed on the block .
+ Really ? What team’s leading scorer against us was a 5 ?

Myth 3: We are not getting killed on the perimeter .
+ Really ? Are we talking IU ?

Myth 4: We need a PG to run DD offense ?
+ Seems like we need 4 ball handlers and a floor leader but not a PG since we play this offense

Myth 5 : We only need one driver maybe 2.
+ Seems like dribble drive requires 2 primary drivers who can get to the hole plus 2 secondary drivers who are primary shooters No ? To me this adds to 4 drivers 2 of which can shoot 3’s

+ So who are our 2 drivers getting to the hole ?

IUJeff

Our commits came when IU was losing. Why think that ? Come to grips. This year’s team will have it rough all year in the big ten and the commits know it.

Dannon Brown

I have never been on the “5” bandwagon. What i think we need is athletecism in our big players. Mbakwe is 6’8 and dominated the boards because he is strong and athletic. I think with this offense we need our bigs to be the CZ and Perea types….. i think from the little i have seen of Pitchford he fits the athletic mold but needs to add strength. I think the players we have now are guys coach could get in the program under the circumstances he was in. Dont get me wrong i love these guys and am proud of how hard they work, but they dont fit the mold of the style coach likes to play. The guys he is after now are guys that will fit better in the style of game he coaches. I am all about taking the lumps right now knowing in the near future when we have Bus, Ferrell, Perea, CZ, and all the rest of the future kids we will have the athletecism to spread the floor and score at will as well as defend.

MillaRed

Ohhhh I see. Thanks for clarifying…..

MillaRed

I’m not seeing this guy as a banger Mike. Not at all.

MillaRed

This keeps popping up and I really don’t understand it. These guys want to play with each other. Knowing the talent coming in along with them, they will be an elite team. Much of the current roster will be gone before they arrive.